The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is the modern man’s first choice for style, performance and distinction. Since the first days of racing sports, Rolex has been the watch brand that sets the pace for timekeeping innovations and outstanding functionality. For almost a century its chronographs have complemented the wrists of champions and record-breakers, public figures that were proud to wear the iconic Daytona when they were facing a new challenge. Throughout time, this exceptional chronograph watch has been acknowledged as the perfect instrument for setting new records and achieving unimaginable things.
GENUINE DAYTONA
The origins of the Daytona name are quite interesting. Daytona is, actually, the name of a city in Florida where at the beginning of the last century was held one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. This was called the Daytona 500 and it was hosted on the Daytona International Speedway. As Rolex had a great reputation as the best manufacturer of versatile and durable sports watches that featured an incredible Oyster case, more and more professional racers started wearing its watches while competing in the Daytona 500.
Soon its fame caught up and everyone considered Rolex’s chronograph watch as an iconic racing watch and started calling it “the Daytona”. The brand didn’t miss the opportunity of this association and begun producing the model under the name “Cosmograph Daytona”. To strengthen this connection even more, every Daytona 500 winner was rewarded with a complementary Rolex Daytona. One could say that the success of this watch was inevitable as it was constructed specifically as a driver’s watch with a perpetual self-winding mechanical chronograph movement and the rare ability to simultaneously work both as a stopwatch and as a timepiece.
One of my favorite Daytonas is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116523, a stylish accessory that has been designed to indulge your wrist with the classiest instrument of deciphering time and sophistication. How could you resist the impulse of owning one? The model sports a luxurious jet black dial and a revolutionary Rolex’s chronometer rated automatic chronograph movement known as caliber 4130, it is waterproof to 10 meters and- last, but not least- it is fitted with a beautiful gold and steel Oyster bracelet. You simply can’t go wrong with this watch. It is everything you need to impress. Unquestionably, these are the numerous reasons why a couple of weeks ago I decided to buy a replica of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116523 and I am pleased to say that I already have received and I very eager to share my impressions with you.
The Dial
This Daytona 116523 replica is an impressive timepiece that, just as the authentic watch, has a pretty intricate dial. Even though the color of the dial is black, the watch is anything but boring. The jet black dial is a classy choice that leaves room for numerous aesthetical additions such as the three gold color sub-dials: the central sweep hand allows an accurate reading of 1/8 seconds, whereas the other two counters display elapsed 30 minutes and 12 hours. These were designed so that drivers can accurately track times. Now that we have examined the functional part of the dial, let’s take a look at the aesthetics. To highlight the luxury factor of this incredibly popular racing watch, the dial has been decorated with 18 k yellow gold diamonds, Arabic numeral hour markers at 3 6 and 9 o’clock and yellow gold luminescent hands. Everything suggests class and sophistication. One glance at those 18 k yellow gold diamonds and you’re hypnotized. When we put the replica next to the original watch the dial seems to be pretty close, but there is one small thing that bothers me. The outside circle of the 3 small dials was supposed to be yellow gold color but for some reason on my knockoff it is silver. Even though, I don’t like this difference the truth is that it is only a minor one.
The Case
The key attribute of the Rolex Daytona is its uniquely durable 40 mm Oyster case that protects the core of the watch from external damages. Similarly, my Rolex replica is equipped with a sturdy 40 mm stainless steel case that features a triplock winding crown which screws down as to seal the watch tightly and hermetically. The final piece of the puzzle is the scratch resistant crystal that has a dual purpose- it accentuates the beauty of the Daytona replica by offering a clear view of the black dial and it closes the case perfectly as to provide maximum resistance under water.
The Bezel
The bezel looks very authentic as well. Just as the genuine Cosmograph Daytona bezel, the one on the replica doubles as a tachymeter, meaning, it measures elapsed time over a given distance. Combined with the chronograph function, you can use the bezel to measure speeds of up to 400km/h. I really think that the 18k yellow gold polished finished bezel accentuates the beautiful design of the watch.
The Movement
The authentic Rolex Daytona 116523 sports a fascinating caliber 4130 movement which has received the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute’s certification for high-precision. This self-winding mechanical chronograph movement was exclusively designed and produced by Rolex. Compared with a standard chronograph this mechanism has fewer components, thus improving the watch’s reliability. Another highlight of this Daytona model is the fact that it features a Parachrom hairspring which offers a better resistance to temperature variations and shocks. Of course, my replica doesn’t enjoy the same high quality caliber 4130 mechanism, the Parachrom hairspring and the other extraordinary technicalities. Mine comes with a very good automatic movement clone, one that keeps pretty accurate time and has the same functions as the real thing, but without the sophisticated and intricate internals. Still, it gets the job done and sometimes this is what matters the most.
The Bracelet
The Oyster bracelet of the Rolex Daytona replica delivers and impressive level of comfort, comparable to the one offered by the genuine watch. It is elegant and sturdy. The three-link Oyster bracelet is crafted from stainless steel and coated with 18 k yellow gold. It nicely wraps around the wrist as to provide that great feeling of luxury and refinement. No matter how much I studied the bracelet of my Daytona knockoff I couldn’t find any noticeable flaws. It really looks nice and durable.
The Functionality
The Daytona is an incredible watch with very useful chronograph functions. For instance, the upper and lower pushers screw down like the winding crown to ensure waterproofness. One press will start, stop or reset the chronograph. I was impressed to see that my Daytona 116523 replica works the same way. The small dials are correctly operated by the buttons thus allowing me to accurately count elapsed time.
Since the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was first introduced in 1963 it has always met the demands of professional racing drivers. It is the super stylish and modern watch that helps you measure average speeds of up to 400 km/h with an amazing simplicity and accuracy, the timeless fashion icon that reunites the best of two worlds- motor sports and elegance-, the revolutionary instrument that offers the most innovative functions and, of course, the unquestionable symbol of luxury, power and wealth.
What we wear speaks to the world about our success in life so if we want to reflect greatness we need to have a watch that emphasizes classiness and superior performances. This being said, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116523 Black Diamonds is the perfect pick for those who understand that a timepiece is not just an accessory, it is a social business card of an unimaginable value.